defence – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Leeds asks about response to Russian espionage

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on UK response to potential acts of war by Russia, following a government statement on the Russian spy ship Yantar on 25th November 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, it is clear that that message is conveyed, but it seems to do nothing to deter the Russians from continuing with their activity. Can the Minister say whether our military leaders have come to any conclusions about what an appropriate response will be to what, in the end, could be an act of war?

Bishop of Oxford asks about use of AI in government work and cybersecurity

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on joined up thinking in defence and cybersecurity, and the risks of AI use in government work, on 10th September 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, on Monday the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence heard a striking presentation from the Polish Minister for defence and cybersecurity, who talked about the joined-up thinking his nation has developed on defence and commercial attacks of this kind. I ask the Minister what the Government are doing to join up thinking in defence and industry, in terms of cyber- attacks. In light of the Government’s promotion of artificial intelligence, do they consider that this increases the risk of cyberattacks of this kind? What steps are the Government taking to advocate responsible and cautious adoption of AI to mitigate this risk?

Bishop of Bristol calls for peacebuilding initiatives alongside Strategic Defense Review

The Bishop of Bristol made her final speech in the House of Lords during a debate on the Strategic Defence Review on 18th July 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Robertson, for bringing the SDR to debate to this House, and I look forward to continuing to hear this House’s wide-ranging expertise. I also look forward to the maiden speech of the noble Lord, Lord McCabe.

George Bell, formerly the Bishop of Chichester, thought deeply about the ethics of international relations and spoke, on occasions controversially, in this House about his conclusions. Speaking more generally of the Church in wartime—and I too believe that we are in a time of considerable risk of war—he asserted that the task of the Church, in its service and witness, was to be the Church, and often, that would be in practical endeavour within a whole-society response.

Last weekend the General Synod of the Church of England in York responded to the current international threat level very practically by providing new legislative arrangements to hold the records of military chaplains centrally, not locally. That will allow chaplains, regular or reservists, to be licensed to move much more rapidly into operation. I commend this new legislation to members of the Ecclesiastical Committee and to the whole House, as the Church seeks to support the aim of increasing agility in deployment.

Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham takes part in VE and VJ day debate

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham spoke in a debate marking the 80^th anniversary of Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan on 9th May 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: My Lords, it is a privilege to speak in this debate. I congratulate my right reverend friend the Bishop of Peterborough on her excellent maiden speech, and I look forward to her insightful and wide-ranging contribution to the work of this House in the coming days, particularly drawing on her experience in education and with young people. I also thank the Minister for his very moving and impassioned speech opening this debate.

We commemorate a time of extraordinary sacrifice and service in the story of our nation, as well as our allied partners, notably in the Commonwealth. Victory, we know, was hard won. I pay particular tribute to the vital work of the Armed Forces chaplains, who served with great distinction throughout the war. We can be thankful that they remain an essential and fully integrated part of our military capability, not only because of their vital role in times of conflict but for the well-being of all service personnel during training, on exercise and on deployment in strategic peacetime operations.

Bishop of Southwark speaks on value of treaties placing limits on use of landmines and cluster munitions

On 3rd April 2025, the Bishop of Southwark spoke in a debate on the withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty on anti-personnel landmines and the Convention on Cluster Munitions by several NATO allies:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Verdirame, for setting out this important matter so clearly and to other noble Lords for their very evident expertise in this area.

Bishop of Sheffield asks about overseas development aid

The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 17th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government, following the recent announcement of the diversion of funds from the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget to the defence budget, whether they plan to decrease the proportion of ODA spent on in-donor refugee support.

Armed Forces Commissioner Bill: Bishop of Norwich raises impact on families and army chaplaincy

The Bishop of Norwich spoke at the second reading of the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill on 5th March 2025, supporting the bill while raising queries on the work of army chaplains, the UK Armed Forces Families Strategy, and the definition of family members given in the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his introduction. I saw it as a very positive step that the Labour Party pledged in its 2024 general election manifesto to establish an independent Armed Forces commissioner to improve service life.

I declare an interest as the father of a soldier. While my own son is enjoying his Army career and gaining much from it, previous speeches in your Lordships’ House and in the other place have cited record lows in morale and a crisis in recruitment and retention as driving this need for a strong, independent voice to represent the needs of service personnel and their families. So I see it as a very positive step forward that the Bill will enable any personnel or their families to raise a service welfare matter with the proposed commissioner, wherever in the world that matter may have taken place.

Service personnel and their families give much to this nation, as has already been said in your Lordships’ House. Much of that is unseen and can impact on extended family members, who often give unstinting support to loved ones during deployments and at other times. Personnel and their families never know what is around the corner or what might be expected of them, as we know all too well at present.

Bishop of Norwich asks government commitment to defence spending

On 4th March 2025, the Bishop of Norwich asked a question on the UK’s commitments to Ukrainian defence, following a government statement on the status of the conflict:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I thank the Minister for the Statement and echo other comments in your Lordships’ House about the leadership that the Prime Minister has shown in recent days. In Norfolk last week, I spent time with some of the brave Ukrainian men and women who are being trained, over a very short five-week period, by the Irish Guards and instructors from a range of international allies under Operation Interflex, learning the vital skills that they need to defend their nation in the face of Putin’s illegal invasion. Will the Minister give assurances that this commitment to Operation Interflex and to train Ukrainian men and women remains absolutely ironclad and will continue for as long as it is needed?

Bishop of London advocates for assessment of cuts to development aid

On 26th February 2025, the Bishop of London responded to a government statement on defence spending, urging that an assessment take place to identify the risks posed by cuts to development aid:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I refer to my entry in the register of interests: I am the chair of Christian Aid. I am very privileged to follow the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, because I think we need to reject this false choice between defence spending and development spending. They are not competing priorities. This is not just about reputation. Properly used development funding helps to prevent conflict. It tackles instability and provides a greater and more just world. We have heard the concern that cutting aid in this way risks exacerbating instability and leads to conflict. Will the Government not just make an assessment of the outcomes of this cut in funding but make a proper assessment about the risk of increased insecurity, instability and conflict as a result of the cut?

Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich supports increase in defence spending

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asked a question on raising public awareness of the need for funding of the armed forces on 28th January 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich: My Lords, may I pick up a point raised by both the noble Baronesses on spending? I have always supported a considerable increase in spending on defence and share the frustration at the speed at which we are reaching it. My concern is that I am not sure the British public recognise that need. How are the Government proposing to raise awareness in a positive way that will support such an increase in spending?

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